Rolls Royce

Problem
One particular machining process required the use of a large
number of machine tools called broaches to form the barbed “Christmas
Tree” end to each turbine blade. These broaches
had several conflicting attributes:

They were very expensive,
so minimising stock levels was essential.

They had
a long lead time between order placement and receipt.

They
had a limited life, which could be extended through
a limited number of regrinds.

Sometimes a broach would
be destroyed. Without a spare in stock this could delay
production.

Some broaches were part of a set,
and shouldn’t
be used individually, except in an emergency.

Trying to satisfy all these requirements
manually was proving very hard, and Rolls Royce asked us
to devise some software to make managing their broach stock
easier.

Solution
We implemented a Delphi application to
manage broach stock levels, remaining regrind lives,
and replacement ordering. The application has the following
key features:

The value of the broach stock could
be calculated at any time.

The availability of broaches
for a particular turbine disk could be ascertained
immediately.

It became very easy to manage regrind
lives, and order more broaches as soon as minimum levels
were
reached.

Overdue broaches orders could be
monitored, and the suppliers chased before the situation
became
critical.

It became very much easier to manage
sets of broaches.

The program is extremely reliable,
with practically zero bugs or failures, over several
years
of use.

Result
Rolls Royce’s Ansty factory was able to reduce broach
stock levels by 30% while also reducing hold-ups caused by
the
non-availability of a required tool. The savings in stock
alone paid for the software within 6 months. An unexpected
benefit of the program was simplified staff training requirements,
with the software helping engineers comply with the strict
rules for broach usage.